Cherry Shortcakes

 

You know one of the best things about summer? Stone Fruits! What is a stone fruit? It’s basically any fruit that has a fleshy pulp on the outside, and a single shell, that surrounds a seed, on the inside. So, cherries (!), peaches, plums, etc. I often have a hard time deciding what my favorite baking season is. On the one hand, there’s summer – which gives us alllll the cherries, and berries, and stone fruits, and just everything amazing. Then, there’s Fall, which, I mean, is basically a food blogger’s dream. It’s not too hot outside so you can bake easily, and the flavors of Fall are just so warm and inviting. Summer though. . . I mean, take for example these cherries. Cherries don’t have a very long season, but as soon as I see them in the stores – I HAVE to bake with them. This is a super easy dessert too. There’s only a little bit of baking involved, so your oven doesn’t even have to be on for too long! The fun part is the assembly anyway. And they’re just so darn cute, they’re bound to be a hit wherever you bring them! Plus, they kinda look like a little firecracker to me. . . can you see it?

What you’ll need . . .

flour

baking powder

salt

butter, cut into cubes

sugar

eggs

milk

vanilla

For the cherry filling:

14 cherries, pitted

sugar

For the whipped cream:

heavy cream +sugar

Preheat your oven to 350F. In a large bowl whisk together your dry ingredients (except sugar), and set aside. In the bowl of your stand mixer, with the paddle attachment, whip butter until soft. Add sugar and mix until well combined. Next add in one egg at a time and mix until smooth. Add in the vanilla. Next add in the dry ingredients alternating with the milk. Mix just until smooth. Butter a jelly roll pan and cover the bottom with parchment paper. Pour batter into the pan and bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool.

To make the cherry filling, take your pitted cherries and chop them into small pieces. Combine the pieces and cherry juice into a bowl with the sugar and mix. Let this mixture sit while your cake bakes and cools. To make the whipped cream, add your heavy cream to the stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Whisk until soft peaks – add the sugar – continue whisking until stiff peaks form. (You can leave out the sugar from the whipped cream if you’d like to cut down on sugar – it’ll still taste great!)

To assemble, use a small circle cookie cutter to cut the sheet cake into 24 circles. (I kept the scraps and used them in another cake, but they’re yummy to just eat with tea!) Scoop your whipped cream into a piping bag with large star tip. Take one circle, pipe some whipped cream, add the cherry mixture, place another circle on top. (I put a toothpick through the cakes to help them stay put, but you don’t have to. If you do – please warn people that there is a toothpick inside!) Pipe more whipped cream on top and place a cherry on the very top. Repeat for all 12 cakes. 

Some notes. . . 

1. When  you cut the cakes out, you’ll have scraps left over. I like to keep them and use them in another cake, or use them for cake pops!
2. Since these are bite size, if you use toothpicks, remember to warn people about the toothpicks before serving!

If you liked this recipe, you might want to try. . . 

1. Cherry Clafoutis
2. Heart Shaped Mini Ombre Cakes

Tried this Recipe?

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Print Recipe

Cherry Shortcakes

A bite sized take on the traditional strawberry shortcake, now in a little cherry cake!

Prep Time35 minutes mins

Cook Time25 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr

Course: Dessert

Servings: 12 mini cakes

Ingredients

Vanilla Pound Cake

• 1½ cup flour
• ¼ tsp baking powder
• ⅛ tsp salt
• ½ cup butter cut into cubes
• 1½ cup granulated sugar
• 3 eggs
• ½ cup milk
• ½ tbsp vanilla extract

Cherry Filling

• 14 cherries pitted
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar

Whipped Cream

• ½ cup heavy cream
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar

Instructions

Vanilla Pound Cake

• Preheat oven to 350F. In a large bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. 
• In the bowl of your stand mixer, whip butter until soft. Add sugar and mix until well combined. Next add in one egg at a time and mix until smooth. Add in the vanilla and mix.
• Add in the dry ingredients alternating with the milk. Mix just until smooth.
• Butter a sheet pan and cover the bottom with parchment paper. Pour batter into pan and bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool.

Cherry Filling

• Take your pitted cherries and chop into small pieces. Combine the pieces and cherry juice into a bowl with the sugar and mix. Let sit while your cake bakes and cools. 

Whipped Cream

• Add your heavy cream to the stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Whisk until soft peaks form - add the sugar - continue whisking until stiff peaks form. 

Assembly

• Once cooled, use a small circle cookie cutter to cut the sheet cake into 24 circles.
• Scoop your whipped cream into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Take one vanilla pound cake circle, pipe enough whipped cream to cover the circle, add 1-2 tsp of the cherry mixture, place another circle on top.
• Pipe more whipped cream on top and place a cherry on the very top. Repeat for all 12 cakes. 

Notes

1. If your cakes are not staying together, you can put a toothpick through the cakes before putting the cherry on top. Place the cherry through the toothpick to help it hold. Please remember to tell people there is a toothpick before they eat it!